Hello again flit...
You don't need to boil the piece. Boiling softens the wood and pieces can come off. If you're concerned about bacteria, you shouldn't be. There's nothing on the wood that will harm your fish. If you'd feel better, soak the piece in a bucket of your new water and add a tablespoon of standard aquarium salt to the water and leave the piece to soak for a day or so and then rinse. Most, if not all fish pathogens don't tolerate salt.
B